Like we need an excuse to visit Port Macquarie. The place is surrounded by the kind of scenery they use in shampoo commercials. Still, if there’s a right time to visit, it’s during the annual Artwalk festival (happening this weekend!). This is when Port Macquarie really comes alive. For one magical night, artists, live music, circus acts, theatre groups and interactive light shows basically take over the town, turning it into regional NSW’s biggest cultural party. This year’s theme is ‘Up In Lights’, and it’s running from this Friday, June 9 from 5-9pm.

Here are some of our top picks for Artwalk 2023.ART JACKETS MADE FROM RUBBISH LIKE CHIP PACKETS During the COVID lockdowns, local painter Leah Doeland wasn’t able to source her usual art supplies, so she turned to the next best thing: upcycling. Using items destined for landfill (i.e. ‘rubbish’) Leah has created a series of incredible art jackets. The collection will eventually grow to 20 pieces, but you can see the first five at Four Espresso Café in Murray Street. Special shout out to the jacket woven entirely from Smith’s chip packets. That’s right, it’s a packet jacket.LIGHT SHOW FEATURING ILLUMINATED STINGRAYS As the sun sets on Port Macquarie, illuminated stingrays and neon mud crabs take to the air, weaving above the crowd. This is Fever Dream, the latest interactive light and theatre show from Newcastle-based group, Curious Legends. Fever Dream isn’t just something to watch, it’s something to experience! You can join the light, colour and soundscapes with your own handmade stingrays, illuminated with special gear from the Curious Legends team. Join the dance and be swept away. Kids are more than welcome. CIRCUS, STUNTS AND FIRE Artwalk tends to sprawl over Port Macquarie, but if there is an epicentre, it’s the famed Murray Street Precinct, which this year is being transformed into ‘A Taste of Tortuga. This is Artwalk’s circus hub, so you can expect fire jugglers, live music, pop-up life drawing, working artists, store-based exhibitions and street art galore. Award-winning circus performers Rogan Josh and Hannah Cryle will be on-hand, performing the sort of stunts that make insurance companies sweat, and there’s even a silent disco at ‘The Nugget’.

SHAKESPEARE’S GREATEST HITS MEDLEY Want to see Shakespeare as it was meant to be done? Or at least as it’s never been done before? Swing by the courtyard at Port Macquarie Museum and check out Bard-core. It’s a fast-paced medley of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, including Romero & Juliet, Julius Caesar and Macbeth, performed by local theatre group, Got Ya Back. With a cast of mid-north coast rising stars, and the actual solar system above your head, it should be an awesome night (if you can get over the Year 12 English flashbacks).THE BIRPAI LIGHT-UP LANTERNS The Birpai Lanterns have been a staple of the Artwalk program since 2018. It isn’t Artwalk until night falls and Port Macquarie lights up with the stories of the local Birpai people. The lanterns themselves were made by the Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council men’s and youth groups, and you’ll find them dotted throughout the precincts. They tell the story of this land, its people, and the communities of the mid-north coast.BUSH TO BEACH If you’re unsure where to start your Artwalk journey – there is a lot to digest this year – start with Bush to Beach ‘Reclaimed Reflections’. It’s a sculpture walk connecting Port Macquarie’s various primary and secondary schools, and it’ll give you a good sense of the town. Visitors will be rewarded with lush koala corridors, beautiful creek trails, and some cracking views of Oxley Beach. The sculptures themselves are all made by local students – a symbol of the community’s commitment to recycling and sustainability.   

PRIVATE TOUR OF VERMEER EXHIBITION As part of the festival, Majestic Cinemas and local art studio Antonija Gros are premiering a very special film. It’s called The Greatest Exhibition, and it’s a private, behind-the-scenes walk through the largest Vermeer exhibition in the world – which is held in the Netherlands’ Rijksmuseum, for those playing at home. Along with the film, there’ll also be a collection of pastiche paintings of Vermeer’s greatest masterpiece, ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, created by the artists of Antonija Gros. Definitely one for the art lovers.WHILE YOU’RE HERE… Artwalk may run for one night only, but you can’t see and experience all of Port Macquarie in a single day. There’s just too much to do. Grab a Sundowner Session at Little Shack on the Breakwall overlooking the river, ride camels over the sands at Lighthouse Beach, and definitely make some time to check out the incredible Bango Maze (an easy 30-minute drive up into the hinterland). If you’re lucky, you’ll also spot humpbacks and orca making their annual migration along the ‘Whale Superhighway’, just off the coast. Whale spotting season runs from May to November.This guide was brought to you by Port Macquarie ahead of Artwalk on June 9, 2023. To plan your trip and for more tips, and the best places to eat, drink and stay, check out the Artwalk details on the Port Macquarie website.